Has anyone built the Italeri 1/48 C-130H Hercules? I bought the kit during a half-price sale from Model Expo for $40, and was AMAZED at how big this kit is! Are there any fit problems that I should know about? Are there any aftermarket kits and/or accessories for it? I would really love to build this as “Fat Albert” (I know, I know, “Fat Albert” wasn’t an H model, but who cares?), so are there any 1/48 decals for that bird out there anywhere?[banghead]
Hi, Gary!
I built that kit a looooong time ago, but to the best of my recollection it went together like a charm. The cockpit and rear cargo area, too. No problems at all. I even put little “grain of wheat” bulbs in there so I could see all the detail once it was all closed up!
I t sure is a big one, eh? Have fun with it, and buy a lot of paint![;)]
Flightpath of England
You need set the PE set Flightpath FHP48106
costs about 35 sterling almost 50$
try www.hannants.co.uk
It’s a big sucker, but it goes together fairly well.
LHS has some Fat Albert Decals…not sure as to the scale or who makes em…but Ill take a look next time Im in and let ya know who makes em
Thanks for the replies, guys. I never thought about putting lights in the interior, but it sounds like a great idea. Maybe I’ll use them for the formation lights also. The kit is big enough to do just about anything within reason. Maybe an operable loading ramp, motors for the props, retractable landing gear… Man, am I getting carried away!! I’ve never attempted anything fancier than out-of-the-box, except for some photo-etch items occasionally. But, the interior lights do sound pretty good. Again, thanks for all of the replies!! Semper Fi!!!
Yup, the interior lights sure do help you see all the work you put into the interior!
I slapped a quick cargo container together out of scrap plastic to act as a battery case and switch. When I wanted to light 'er up, I just slid the container out and turned on the switch. A more clever modeler could probably find a less cumbersome way of storing a battery and turning the lights on, but that’s what I did.
It does fit together nice. Built mine a long time ago as well; but I broke the green house windows for the flight deck (how, I don’t remember) -regardless I built another one from scratch. That was more work then the entire plane! But it turned out pretty nice; definitly need some space to display it though.
Hey J-hulk did you put that container on a 463L pallet? Was there a non metallic material between the container and the pallet? Was it no more than 88 inches(scale of course) high. Is the container properly marked for air transport ( i.e. cubic dimensions, weight, any Hazmat)? And is it secured properly with cargo netting? Just all the questions that need answered to be of proper detail![:D][:D][:D]
Hey Gary, I work at a 130 base if you need any tech questions answered I can talk to all the maintenance shops, Pilots, Navigators, crew chiefs, etc.
Wroper
I built an AC-130-A same kit. The engine nacelles were a pain and the joint between the front and rear fuselage halves bears considerable care. I had to use a bunch of CA to make mine correct. A really tough thing to get right with this kit is to get all six wheels (2 nose and 4 mains) to sit on the same plane, so that you do not have daylight showing between the surface and the bottom of the wheels. Also making sure that the wings are level. I hade to mess with the length of the nose gear strut to get mine to sit properly. And don’t skimp on the nose weight. That big tall empennage (tail) is both heavy and long. I seem to remember that I had to stuff extra weight into the nose to make it right.
Absolutely, Wroper! What kind of a hack modeler do you think I am??[;)][:D]
Weeeelll, to be honest, it was just a simple box made of corrugated plastic sheet, painted olive drab, and adorned with some spare “US ARMY” decals. I suppose the big piece I used for the base of it could be mistaken for a pallet (perhaps even a 463L pallet!), and I’m almost certain there was non-metallic material between the pallet and the container. Ah, and the crew hadn’t secured the cargo netting yet! Yup, that’s it![;)]
Too funny J-HULK!!! LMAO[:D][:D]
Gary,
I’ve built both the H and Spectre versions. The former had a problem with the fuselage/wing joint. The kit provides a pair of spars for support, but the spars I had in my H kit were both warped and, on comparison to the Spectre spars, a bit flimsy. Double check yours. You may need to reinforce the kit spars or maybe manufacture your own. Regardless, both kits built up to great looking Hercs.
-O
Hey, GREAT advice, guys!! That’s the info I was looking for - the problems you had assembling this behemoth.
oortiz10, thanks for the heads-up about hte wing spars. I’ll definitely watch out for that.
engstrome, I appreciate the advice on the fuselage details. I did kinda figure that it would need a LOT of nose weight, though. Something that big just HAD to!!
wroper11, THANKS FOR THE OFFER!!! If there are any engineering drawings that you could get, I would GLADLY pay for your efforts. My dad was a crew chief on the H model back in the mid-70’s with the Tennessee ANG in Memphis, but he didn’t save any of the old manuals or pictures that he used to have. Doesn’t remember what he did with them. Oh well. By the way, which C-130 base are you at?
J-Hulk: Is there ANY model that you HAVEN"T built??? heeheeheeheehee!! It seems that you’ve built just about everything. I do appreciate the feedback you’ve given me over the past few months, though. Especially the M41 Walker Bulldog advice. I still haven’t started on it yet, but I plan on it just after the first of the year.
Thanks for the advice, guys!! Semper Fi!!
Glad to be of service, Gary! I had a very prolific modeling youth. Big on quantity, short on quality! The good thing about that is that I did get a lot of valuable experience with a wide variety of kits from all genres. Now I’m lucky if I finish three or four kits a year!! Sure do buy plenty, though…[:D]
Speakin’ o’ which, I found the Spectre kit for 8,000 yen ($72 USD) at one of my LHSs yesterday. Seems kinda steep, but non-Japanese stuff is always high here. I’m not so interested in the Spectre version, but it would be nice to try a big H again!
You Herc specialists can tell me: Is it the C-130J that has the cool six-bladed swooshy props? I’d love to build that version! Anybody make one?
Hey Gary,
I am at Will Rogers ANG base here in Oklahoma City, OK. Home of the 137th Airlift wing. 185th Airlift Sq.[C):-)]
Any way just give me specifics like wing root section or landing gear or what ever. I am not a crew dog so I don’t know exactly what you need. However I talked to the super of the sheet metal shop about a month ago and told him I was getting ready to do a bird and he said just let him know what I needed.
So give me specifics and if it ain’t classified I will try to scrape it up for you.
Wroper
J-Hulk,
You’re correct - it is the J that has the six-bladed props. I have an outstanding picture of one that I took during an airshow in Atlanta, GA, back in 1998. I used the panoramic view with an APS camera, so it’s a rather long picture. But, if you want, I can scan it in and e-mail it to you. Also, Italeri makes a 1/72nd version of the J, but they only added the six-bladed props to an existing H model. If you want a proper J version, you’ll have to modify the fuselage, mainly the greenhouse and the small windows just below the cockpit on each side. Plus, the cockpit is ENTIRELY different. The J is almost all glass (CRTs), instead of the normal analog guages. As far as price for the Italeri 1/48th kit, I can find them here (in Indianapolis, anyway) for about $50 -$60 US, depending on where I’m looking. I actually bought mine about two years ago during a half-price sale on-line at Model Expo. Cost me $40, so I figure I got a pretty good deal.
wroper,
Thanks a bunch!! If you can swing it, some cockpit pictures/drawings, cargo hold pictures/drawings, engine pictures/drawings, and landing gear pictures/drawings would be great (man, I sure don’t ask for much, do I?). What can I do for you in return?
Hey wroper11:
I’ve worked 130’s for over 5 years I worked “B’s” thru “H-3’s” at Peterson AFB so if you have any ?'s I’d be happy to help too[8D]
Well, you might try the same idea as me.[^]
I’m working on a 1/48th scale C-130H Hercy Bird from Viet Nam that was on a L.A.P.E.S. mission. It has the flaps lowered at 10 degrees, the elevator has been moved to the up position, the landing gear has been lowered, the props are turning, the ramp is in the down position complete with a chain, three crew members are in the cockpit and the crew chief is in the rear, it’s pulling a pallet out the rear via a triple chute, and it “appears” to be only three feet off the ground. And it’s still not finished, but coming along.
It’s fun. And a great kit.
Vance
Gary,
I will start researching on Monday (would have started today but I had to pour concrete)!
I will try to get some digital photos of the one they have in the big hanger right now that is torn apart (they are just doing routine maintenance). Will check on the shop drawings.
Cuda,
Are you AD, ANG, or AR? I think you are ANG because the only A-10s are Guard right?
anyway you guys probably saw our birds over there on a regular basis. They said they put as many hours on them in one month over there as they did in a whole year normally over here. They were all over the theater. Light blue stripe on the vertical stab with a big black outlined indian chief’s head.
Wroper